


Conversations in the Cosmos

by yeysal



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bill has a cat named Muffin, Connecting Universes, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Human!Bill, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soul Bond, Student Dipper, Tattoo Artist Bill, death mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-05-16 23:53:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5845813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeysal/pseuds/yeysal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots that depict various universes in which Dipper and Bill are soul-bonded. These universes and dimensions are mentioned in my fic "The Maze." You don't have to read that fic to understand this one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversations in the Cosmos

**Author's Note:**

> Reciprocation: Bill is a tattoo artist and Dipper is a student in Portland, Oregon. Dipper always thought that he and Bill's friendship was mutual but after a conversation with Bill that leaves him trying to repair damage he didn't realize he'd caused, he learns that it's more one-sided than he thinks. Now he has to make things right. So he goes to Bill's shop to get his first tattoo...by Bill.

_University of Portland, December 2013_

Dipper was extremely thankful that there wasn’t a person in the rec room of the dormitory, save for him and Bill. The two sat on either end of the table with Dipper’s books and supplies messily spread across the surface while Bill was reading over his old notes from his metaphysics class and highlighting certain parts for Dipper to go over.

Between the two of them, they had already burned through three large cups of coffee along with half a liter of Red Bull and Dipper was shocked that his tatted friend seemed so unusually calm and quiet.

Then again, Dipper had also noticed Bill’s behavior was like this for the past few days now and he was relieved that his normally chatty friend wasn’t cracking his teasing jokes that frustrated Dipper to the point of insanity.

In all, Dipper was grateful that Bill voluntarily skipped his shift at the tattoo parlor to help Dipper with his metaphysics final. Even though Bill had been out of school for two years he still went out of his way to help Dipper out with his schoolwork between his shifts at the parlor and, occasionally, between clients. Dipper was surprised the shop was so lenient with him.

A few minutes later, Bill broke the silence with a small sigh and closed his notebook before proceeding to drop a bombshell statement, “I’m breaking up with you, Pine Tree.”

Dipper blinked and looked up from his metaphysics textbook. That was certainly an odd way to break a silence. “Uh…what?” He wasn’t sure if his friend was serious or not. The use of his nickname implied that he might have been making a light hearted joke…especially since they weren’t even _dating._

Bill looked over, meeting Dipper’s eyes with a confident assurance with a dash of sadness, “I’m breaking up with you.”

Dipper stared at Bill as if he grew an extra limb and he almost wanted to laugh if his friend didn’t look so serious, “Bill…we’re not dating…? Where is this coming from?”

Bill grumbled and kicked his chair back as he stood up and shoved his notebook into his backpack, “Well, it certainly got your attention.” He zipped up his pack and looked around for anything else he left on the table, “Anyway, I’m just going to end this now so that I have a reason to feel like shit about something in regards to you.” 

It was like a train wreck suddenly happening. Dipper watched as Bill slung his backpack over his shoulder and started to walk out. Hurriedly, Dipper threw his pen down and reached out for Bill, “Wait, wait, what the hell are you talking about? Sit, sit down…please!" 

Bill paused and stared at the floor, debating on whether he would heed Dipper’s request. After a few seconds, his shoulders drooped and he shook his head on a sigh as he pulled a chair out and sat back down and muttering, “I’m like a fucking dog…this is ridiculous.”

Dipper had no idea where this was coming from and he closed his textbook, turning all of his attention to his friend, “Did I miss something? What are you so upset about?”

Bill scratched his nose, a nervous habit, “Well, let’s start with last week.”

Dipper tried to remember last week. It was Thanksgiving break. He had gone home to Piedmont while Bill supposedly stayed in Portland. “Did something happen?”

Bill laughed humorlessly, “I love how you’re asking me that _now_ , instead of the three times we actually spoke last week when I listened to you rant about your sister’s terrible boyfriend and various other first world problems.”

Dipper squinted, “I don’t get it…are you mad because I complained a lot last week or…?”

Bill laughed, “Seriously?” Bill held out his hand and pointed his index finger, “Let me give you the rundown of _your_ week last week as told by you: first your mom scolded you for your terrible college diet and you were scared of being forced to eat that shitty cranberry sauce that she makes from scratch,” Bill held out his middle finger, “Your sister brought her boyfriend as a surprise and you had to listen to romantic talk all evening…”

Dipper listened as Bill counted on all ten fingers each and every story he told him over the break. While Bill’s listening skills were impressive, (Dipper had forgotten some of the things Bill listed off) he still had no idea where this was going.

By the time Bill ran out of fingers to count on, he leaned back in his chair with a sigh, “So I know all about how your break went, what you ate, what was annoying, and I have all seven of our text messages, each one starting with me asking how you were doing. We’ve been friends for a long time now, Pine Tree,” he bit his lip as his eyes started watering a bit, “But it seems a little one-sided, you know? I feel like I’m constantly bugging you. It’s like…you don’t care at all so,” Bill gestured between the two of them, “What is this?” 

Dipper was starting to understand now and he closed his eyes, “Bill, look…you know how I get…I’m just, nervous at starting a conversation. And I get so scatterbrained that I don’t really think about calling or texting you…and you have to admit you can be more than a little obnoxious most of the time.”

Bill held up his hands, “Hey, I understand, believe me. You’re used to solitude and it’s not easy for you to engage and I’m one of the only people to text you out of nowhere, I get it. And I can’t expect you to like me all the time or suddenly change your ways but I was wondering if you were ever curious as to how many people ask me how my day is going, you know, just because they’re interested.”

Dipper rubbed his forehead. He wished this conversation would end so he could get back to studying for his final…Bill seemed to be in one of those moods, “How many?”

“One,” Bill paused to take a deep breath as his eyes became glossy, “My brother. He lives- _lived_ across the state where we grew up in Gravity Falls…” he closed his eyes tight and Dipper thought he saw a few tears fall from his eyes before Bill covered them with his hand.

Dipper felt his stomach drop at Bill’s sudden change in demeanor…

When Bill looked back up, he sucked in a breath through his nose, “He died last week. I…got the call from his roommate right after you left.”

There it was. “Oh no,” Dipper felt his heart break into a million pieces. He could only imagine how Bill felt, especially considering that on that day, Dipper had done nothing but blather on and on about how he was dreading the big family get-together. He was wondering why Bill had seemed so quiet and withdrawn…and he didn’t even bother to ask him. “Bill…fuck, I’m so sorry.”

Bill wiped at his face a little aggressively, “Thanks…”

“What happened…?”

“He, uh,” Bill’s gaze was shifting all over as if he didn’t want to focus on one thing for too long, “…the doctors said it was an aneurysm,” he covered his face with his hands, “It’s so weird knowing he’s just… _gone_ …”

Dipper knew he was currently the biggest jerk in the room and he was about to secure that spot with his next question, “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

Bill looked up and stared at Dipper for a minute before he laughed, “Are you serious? I mean, are you fucking kidding me right now? You-” He started to say something vicious before he covered his mouth and leaned back, “How the hell could I, huh? In between your superficial bullshit about your sister’s preppy boy toy or the fact that your grandmother still doesn’t know why you don’t have a girlfriend? You tell me, Pine Tree. Where did I fit in between all of that? Especially since you _never_ ask me how I’m doing. Ever. As soon as you finish venting you rush off the phone before I can even get a few words in.”

Dipper winced and looked away. He couldn’t argue with Bill on that one and he hated it the fact that it was true. Dipper felt his eyes fill up with tears, “Bill…I’m so, so sorry…really…”

Bill shook his head, “Look…I can’t do this anymore with you, Pine Tree.”

“What do you mean?”

Bill’s lips pursed and fiddled nervously with his hands, “I’ve hung around long enough…I mean, I thought we could be friends but, I don’t know, it’s fucking stupid. I should have been smart and just walked away the first time but…you know, it’s whatever. Shame on me. I’m just sick of this.”

Dipper didn’t know how to make this better. He _couldn’t_ make this better; but now he couldn’t shut his mouth and it was word vomit all over the place, “Bill, look, I have no right to ask you to give me another chance and I’m really, really sorry about your brother…I just… _fuck_ , I don’t…”

Bill held up his hand, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve already given you several chances and you know what the fucked up part is? You didn’t even have to ask for them. So I’m gonna solve the problem right now,” he stood up and slung his bag back over his shoulder, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his jacket, “I have nothing left to give to you anyway,” he paused as he flipped his backpack around and took his notebook back out, “Actually, that’s not true, I do have this,” he dropped the notebook in front of Dipper and turned to leave, “You can keep it. I don’t need it anymore anyway.”

Dipper felt like he was going to cry as he watched Bill walk away from him, “Bill, wait…please…”

Bill stopped as he opened the door and looked back at Dipper with a wry smile, “Good luck on your final tomorrow, Pine Tree.”

____

Dipper didn’t get much studying done that night. He had only reviewed Bill’s notebook, which was surprisingly a lot more helpful than the textbook. Bill’s handwriting was neatest cursive he’d ever seen and the little doodles off to the side brought him a lot of comfort and, at the same time, a lot of grief.

He felt like the biggest jerk in the world and he knew he deserved that title but why didn’t Bill ever just talk to him about what was wrong in the first place? Why couldn’t he be upfront about the way Dipper had been treating him?

Dipper realized he wasn’t the best at social interaction. He was terrible at picking up on social cues and he was just as bad in groups. Bill had always understood that and Dipper was surprised that his friend cut a lot of his own social interaction just to hang out with him.

In all, despite the fact that Bill knew everything there was to know about Dipper, Dipper hardly knew anything about his blonde friend. The only things he really knew about Bill was that he was tattooed _almost_ everywhere, that he worked in a tattoo parlor, had been studying metaphysics for most of his life, and he was extremely intelligent not to mention, people smart.

Dipper didn’t even realize that Bill _had_ a brother. The guy never really talked much about himself, but, once again, Dipper never asked.

Maybe it was the fact that they started off as classmates and they were always working together in the labs before Bill’s schedule at the tattoo parlor became too crazy.

Dipper knew Bill was a pretty popular tattoo artist. His talent went without saying when his schedule became so demanding to the point where he just dropped out of college entirely. It was only because Dipper occasionally went to the parlor to have small study sessions with Bill in between the blonde’s sessions that he even knew just how talented Bill really was.

Dipper understood why people came from all over the area to get a tattoo from Bill. His designs were flawless and intricately detailed. It was like he was putting the entire universe into each line. Dipper recalled seeing one girl cry when he finished the line art of her tattoo.

Dipper never asked why or how Bill got into tattoos, why he was the smartest person Dipper had ever met, why his brother lived across the state in Gravity Falls and Bill settled in Portland, why he never spoke about his family…

Dipper closed the notebook and rubbed at his face. He felt like such as asshole. The downside of having a lot of time to himself resulted in him being a little self-absorbed. It was no wonder he naturally flourished under Bill’s constant attention without once paying Bill any mind.

Dipper grabbed his computer and pulled up his browser, typing in Bill’s full name in the search bar. He was able to find Bill’s brother obituary almost immediately, ‘William Cipher.’ So they had the same name? Geez…

He thought that maybe Bill’s brother might have been way older but it seemed they were the same age. Twins even, hell, they looked nearly identical if Bill didn’t look like such a punk. His brother Will was a lot softer in expression.

The obit wasn’t long, there was just enough information to list the people he was survived by which included Bill and their father. Dipper tried to figure out where he had seen that name before when he realized…

He grabbed his metaphysics textbook and flipped to the page with the list of credits and beneath the heading, he saw that same name beneath the author’s credit.

Bill’s father was the most famous metaphysicist in the world. Dipper leaned back, how did he not figure that out before? Bill’s father was a genius. No wonder Bill knew so much about the subject…he must have been raised around it…

In just five minutes, Dipper was starting realize just how interesting his friend really was. There was so much to Bill that Dipper didn’t know…and now he was more curious than ever. He looked at Bill’s worn out notebook, the bent edges and random doodles covering the front flap made him smile. At the heart of it all, Bill was truly an artist.

As he was about to close the notebook, a small slip of paper fell out and landed in Dipper’s lap. It was small, almost like a bookmark, and it was old. The paper was aged considerably and the ink looked faded. On the slip was a small drawing of a wheel with a one-eyed triangle in the middle. Circling it were various symbols like a shooting star, a six-fingered hand, glasses, and a…

“Pine Tree…” Dipper thought back to the first day he met Bill and he was wearing that blue hat with the pine tree symbol on it. It looked identical to the one on the drawing.

He had to find a way to make this right. He couldn’t lose his friend…

____

_Three weeks later, after finals_

Dipper stood in front of the tattoo parlor where Bill worked. It was still early, right about twelve in the afternoon but he figured that Bill spent more time here than he did in his own apartment even when he wasn’t on shift. He took a deep breath and walked inside, the little greeting chime went off shortly after though, instead of the usual chime, it sounded like a terrified scream. That was new.

One of Bill’s coworkers, Hector, a short man in a bowler hat and with two massive gauges in his ears, was perched behind the counter and looking at the computer, “How can I help you?” When the man looked over his eyes softened at the sight of Dipper’s familiar face, “Oh…hey, what’s up small fry?”

“Uh, hey,” he awkwardly put his hand on the counter and tapped his fingers, “Is, uh, is Bill around?”

Hector sucked his teeth and looked behind him, “He’s working on a sketch for a client, uh, you want me to let him know you’re here?”

This was a stupid idea. Dipper’s heart started racing as he shook his head and backed away, “If he’s busy I can come back some oth-“

“Hey, there, Pine Tree.” Bill walked out from the other room in the back, flicking his coworker’s gauges as he approached the desk, “Client called and cancelled.”

Hector winced at Bill’s flick, “Fuckin’…wait, seriously? Why? She got scared?”

Bill huffed, “Guess so,” he shrugged his shoulder, “I had just finished the damn sketch, too. I warned her it would be too much for her first tattoo.”

“Well, at least now you have something to put on your bulletin that’s yours.”

“True,” Bill turned his attention to Dipper, “How’d you do on your final?”

Dipper smiled, “Got an A.”

“Good job,” Bill grabbed a pen and started clicking it, “So are you finally coming in for your first tat, kid?” Bill smacked Hector’s shoulder and the two laughed a bit at Dipper’s expense since it was pretty much a running joke that Dipper always said the world would end before he got a tattoo.

“Actually, yeah…”

Bill stopped laughing, “Wait, what? Seriously?”

Dipper smiled sheepishly and pulled out a piece of paper, “I’ve got a design and everything…” He slid the paper towards the Bill, “If you don’t mind…”

Bill looked at the familiar drawing with a glimmer in his eye and he smiled, “You little shit.”

Dipper laughed, “What?”

Bill picked up the paper, “You pulled this from my notebook.” He showed it to his coworker, “That’s the wheel I was telling you about. I forgot it was in there…” He looked back at Dipper, “This is what you want?”

Dipper shoved his hands in his pockets with a short but slightly nervous nod, “That’s what I want.” Bill stared at him and Dipper could see that Bill was deciding on whether to grant Dipper’s request or not. The look in his eyes was unsure and not very welcome.

But then Bill’s eyes softened just a bit and he tapped his Hector’s shoulder with a pen, “Slot him in and clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I don’t think I have any other clients coming in anyway.”

Hector raised his brows in surprise, “Uh, alright, boss…”

Bill looked back at Dipper and took out a sheet of paper, “Where’d you want to put it?”

Dipper was a little caught off guard by Bill’s acceptance and took his hands out of his pockets, “I was thinking right here…” he patted his forearm right beneath the crook of his elbow.

Bill started writing notes, “You have a size in mind?”

“Um…” Dipper unrolled his sleeve and used his fingers to form a circle around the area, “About that big I guess.”

Bill looked up quickly and analyzed Dipper’s arm before going back down to scribble a note, “Alright, are you wanting to color it or anything?”

“Uh, not right away, I guess we’ll see when it’s done.”

Bill smirked, “You doubting me, Pine Tree?”

Dipper’s eyes widened and he backpedaled, “No, absolutely not! I just…I don’t know…”

Hector’s gaze between the two suspiciously, “So this would be your first tattoo, eh, small fry?”

Dipper nodded, ignoring Bill’s soft chuckle as he continued making notes, “First ever.”

Hector nudged Bill’s elbow with his own, “That means he gets to ring the virgin bell when he’s done.”

Bill’s eyes lit up and he looked up at Dipper with a wide smile, “Oh yeah! That’ll be fun.”

Dipper scaled back a bit and gave the two curious looks, “What the heck is a virgin bell?”

Hector pointed at the wall near the entrance. Mounted next to the door was a bell with a string attached with a sign that read “VIRGIN BELL.” Dipper looked back at Hector for an explanation.

The short man laughed, “It’s a celebratory thing for clients who get their first tattoos. They ring the bell on the way out. If they want to of course."

Bill chuckled as he rounded the corner to stand next to Dipper, “We all cheer and throw shit towards the door. It’s more fun when the shop is full.”

Dipper smiled, “Sounds very supportive.”

Bill nudged Dipper’s shoulder with his elbow playfully, “Of course it is,” he looked down at the paper and held it up for Dipper to see, “I’m going to go in the back to work out the sketch and Hector is going to get your paperwork set up.”

On cue, Hector took out some papers and laid them on the counter, “This is your waiver and release,” he marked the areas for Dipper to sign, “Read over everything and sign if everything’s cool, cool?”

Dipper grabbed the pen, “Cool.”

Bill silently made his way in the back and once the door was shut, Hector looked back at Dipper, “You know, I don’t normally see the boss as forgiving as anyone as he is with you. You really got under his skin, you know that right?”

Dipper sighed heavily as he read over the paperwork and signing his name, “Yeah, I know…I…well, I was an asshole.”

Hector shook his head, “He’s a good friend of mine, kid, and I’ve seen him do some crazy shit for a lot _less_ than you what you put him through. I don’t know, maybe he’s just gearing up. Watch your back.”

Dipper gulped and the paranoia suddenly kicked in, _‘Oh shit…’_

Hector smiled and laughed, “Nah! I’m just kidding, small fry, go have a seat. He’ll be done soon.”

Dipper handed over the paperwork and slowly walked over to the chairs as Hector flipped a movie on the television. Dipper slouched into one of the chairs, his mind racing through different scenarios of how Bill could kill and/or torture him in a tattoo parlor…

About half an hour later, Bill emerged from the back, “Alright! Let’s see what you think about this.” Dipper nervously stood from the chair as Bill held his hand out, Let’s see your arm.”

Dipper held his arm out and Bill placed the sketch where Dipper had indicated, “Does this look good? Or do you want it to be smaller?”

Dipper shook his head, “No, it looks good.”

Bill raised an eyebrow, “Good? That’s it? You don’t look excited. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“No! I mean, yes, I want to, I’m just a little nervous is all…” He glanced quickly at Hector before looking back at Bill.

Bill followed his gaze and sighed before looking at the man behind the counter, “What did you tell him?”

Hector chuckled, “Nothin,’ boss, just lookin’ out for ya, is all.”

Bill scoffed, “Don’t listen to him, Pine Tree,” Bill gestured for Dipper to follow him to the station in the far corner of the studio, “Take off your jacket. Are you wearing a long sleeved shirt?” Bill adjusted the small chair for Dipper, setting the back of the seat forward and flipping the arm rest so that Dipper could sit comfortably.

Dipper looked around Bill’s station as he removed his jacket, “Yeah, but I can roll the sleeves up.” He set his jacket aside and walked over to Bill’s bulletin while the blonde washed his hands.

Bill’s bulletin was covered mostly with thank you cards and drawings from other people who Dipper figured were clients. Some of the drawings were nice and cute while a lot were lewd and a little weird. It was interesting for sure. Dipper didn’t see anything that resembled the art Bill did. In the far corner, however, he did notice a small Polaroid picture that was tacked on the side.

The picture was of two twin boys, both with blonde hair, making silly faces to the camera. Dipper recognized the one with amber eyes as Bill and the one with blue eyes as his brother, Will. Will’s face looked considerably shyer than Bill’s crazy expression. On the bottom, the words ‘twin devils 1997’ were scrawled messily on the bottom.

“That’s my brother,” Bill’s voice was muffled and when Dipper turned, the blonde was sitting at his station prepping his tools. He had a facemask covering his mouth and nose and he was pulling on latex gloves. He looked up at Dipper as he opened a pack of needles, “We were nine years old there.”

Dipper looked back at the picture and frowned, “I’m sorry-“

The blonde cut him off and tapped the chair with his foot, “Pine Tree, sit down.” He placed his iPod on the speaker dock and started the music.

Dipper immediately shut his mouth and sat down in the chair, resting his arm in front of Bill. The music playing was much softer and relaxing than Dipper thought it would be.

Bill widened his legs to sit a little more comfortably in his stool and rolled forward, stencil in hand. He carefully brought it over Dipper’s arm and set it down. Once he was finished applying the line work, he lifted the sheet, “Is that where you want it?” He let Dipper peruse over it and when the brunette nodded, he looked up to his coworker, “Hey, Hector!”

Hector, who was busy helping a client pick out a septum, turned around, “Yeah, boss?”

Bill gestured to the curtain that was shoved against the wall, “Privacy, please.”

Hector looked at the client, “Excuse me for a second.” He ran over and pulled the curtain from the wall, giving Dipper a devious look along with a teasing, foreboding laughter as he closed the two off from the rest of the shop.

Bill rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Oh, fuck off,” he shook his head as he grabbed his glasses and turned on the small light that was fixed on them, “You ready?” He grabbed his gun and revved it a few times.

Dipper knew a part of that was to warm up the machine but another part was to freak him out. He gulped and nodded, “Y-Yeah…” Damn, his voice came out a lot squeakier than he intended…

Bill chuckled a bit and steadied the gun to Dipper’s arm, “Just don’t move, try not to flinch, and let me know when or if you need a break, okay?”

Dipper took a deep breath and nodded, relaxing his arm and staring into Bill’s eyes. The music playing in the background helped to distract him just a bit.

Bill looked down and gently rubbed Dipper’s wrist right over the tendon with his thumb and spoke so softly that Dipper strained to hear his voice from beneath the paper mask, “Try not to flex too much,” then he started up the gun and applied it to Dipper’s skin.

Dipper, at first, felt only a bit of pressure; then once the needles started injecting the ink underneath his skin he cringed a bit. To him it was similar to being scratched. The pain dulled after a few seconds and Bill paused to wipe off the excess ink. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Dipper was mesmerized by how flawlessly Bill worked with the gun. He didn’t skip a single line, it looked effortless. He wondered if Bill ever free-styled any tattoos on clients.

When Bill stopped the gun to refill the ink, he looked over at Dipper with a smile in his eyes, “You’re doing well so far. How do you feel?”

Dipper exhaled and closed his fist, “I’m fine. It looks good so far. It’s hard to believe that you did so much and only have a few of the lines in.” Dipper flexed his arm a bit while Bill rolled out his shoulders, “Um…so the curtain?”

Bill closed his eyes with a small shrug as he rolled back over to Dipper, “I’m not an idiot, Pine Tree. I don’t imagine that a tattoo was all you came for?”

Dipper shook his head and went back to sitting still as Bill set back to work, “No…not really.”

“You know you didn’t have to get a tattoo to talk to me, kid,” Bill’s eyes never budged from Dipper’s arm but it didn’t have any less impact on how analyzed Dipper felt. Like Bill could still see right through him.

Dipper shook his head, “I know. I…I’ve actually wanted to get a tattoo from you for a while now, though…”

Bill’s eyebrow arched, “Really? You never said anything. Imagine that.”

Dipper’s lips quirked in a small smile but he didn’t come here to talk about himself, “So, uh, how’ve you been?”

Bill lifted the gun from Dipper’s skin and wiped at the ink, his glance into Dipper’s eyes was quick, almost methodical, before he went back to Dipper’s arm, “Eh, it’s been alright. Business has been surprisingly good for the winter. I traveled out to San Francisco to guest teach at a small seminar for full body tattoos last week. Learned a lot."

Dipper pursed his lips a bit, “That’s good; but I meant how are _you_ doing?”

Bill didn’t look up but Dipper could see his eyes soften and flash with a bit of sadness, “I’ve been okay, thanks for asking.”

Dipper took a deep breath, making sure not to let the movement affect his arm. He didn’t want to delve into apologies just yet. After all, he didn’t want to upset the man currently injecting needles into his arm. He looked at the bulletin, “You’re pretty well loved it seems.”

Bill’s eyes were curious, “Hm? What do you mean?”

Dipper smiled, “Your bulletin. All the cards and drawings.”

“Oh,” Bill paused to refill the ink again and Dipper was astounded by how loud their voices, as hushed as they were, were in the silence. Bill looked at the board, “A lot of those are from people who used to work in the shop. Most of the artists moved on when the owner retired. Only ones left are Hector, Veronica, Krypto, and me. I’m looking to get my other friends out of Gravity Falls to come work with me here. I just need to get them financially secured and licensed.”

“The new owner’s okay with that?”

Bill’s smug smile reached his eyes as he fixed the cartridge, “You’re looking at the new owner, Pine Tree.”

Dipper blinked, “Whoa! Really?” When Bill nodded and rolled back over, Dipper smiled, “Congratulations! When did that happen?”

Bill looked up in thought before he continued working on Dipper’s line art, “About six months ago,” He wiped some ink off of Dipper, pleased to see that he was almost halfway done. “It’s pretty nice, every now and then I get to bring the cat here.”

Dipper smiled, “You have a cat?” He could tell Bill was smiling by looking at his eyes. Dipper was always impressed with how _expressive_ the blonde’s eyes were. Even with most of his face covered, most of Bill’s expressions could easily be construed and understood just by looking into his eyes. They were magnetic.

Bill hummed, “Yeah, a hairless Sphinx named Muffin, she’s my little princess.” He paused and the expression in his eyes went from content to looking pained, “Actually she was Will’s cat. I brought her home with me after…after he died.”

Dipper felt his heart break at the look in Bill’s eyes and how it went from happy to sad in a matter of seconds. Still, there was something to be said about someone like Bill who had a secret soft side; especially for cats. He ignored the flutter he felt in his stomach at the thought of Bill resting on a couch with a cat sleeping in his lap.

When he looked down he noticed that the two circles of the wheel were complete and Bill was starting to outline the triangle in the centerpiece, “So, what’s the deal with this drawing? Why was it in your notebook?”

Bill chuckled, “This was one of the first drawings I ever did when I was a kid.”

Dipper’s eyes widened. If anything were humbling, this would definitely be it. “You drew that when you were a kid?”

Bill lifted the gun and gestured towards the picture of him and his brother, “I was either about that age or younger, I remember drawing it in school and keeping it with me for pretty much all my life. It was my bookmark for everything.”

“Where’d you get the idea from?”

Bill shrugged and continued, going over the eye of the triangle, “I don’t know. I just drew it, I guess. You don’t really think about the things you draw as a kid. I just kinda went with it. Hey, do you need a break?"

Dipper shook his head, “No, I’m fine.” He looked at the symbols that circled throughout, “So do you know what the symbols represent?”

Bill laughed, “I find it kind of funny that you’re getting this _permanently_ inked onto your arm and you have no idea what it is. It’s a little unlike you.”

Dipper shrugged his left shoulder carefully, “I don’t know…there’s just something about it I guess. I felt connected to it somehow.”

Bill gave Dipper a strange look, “I’m flattered, Pine Tree.”

“Is that why you call me ‘Pine Tree?’”

“So you _have_ given it some thought, then,” Bill shook his head, “It’s an odd coincidence for sure but, no, I started calling you that because of that silly hat you were wearing the first day we met. It wasn’t until later I realized the connection.”

“Well, I noticed a lot of these symbols could easily stand for people I know. Like the shooting star, for example: my sister wore a sweater with that exact symbol on it when we were twelve. My Grunkle Stan had a fez that was similar to the one in your wheel…only it had a different emblem on the front.”

“Did you know someone with six fingers, too?” Bill chuckled teasingly.

Dipper paused, “Um…yeah, my other great uncle, Grunkle Ford,” Dipper looked down sadly, “He, uh, he passed away before I was born…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, kid.”

“It’s okay, thanks,” Dipper rested his chin on top of the chair and watched Bill work, he was outlining the symbols now, “So, what would you be?”

“What would I be?”

“On this wheel? Which symbol would you be?”

Bill scoffed, “Hell if I know.”

____

An hour later, Bill was cleaning the finished product on Dipper’s arm, “Alrighty,” he turned the light off on his glasses and took them off, “Take a look in the mirror so you can see it right side up.”

Dipper winced as he slid out of the chair and his muscles locked up from sitting in the same position for so long, “Oh man…” he stopped in an awkward position on the chair, “Uh…I need a little help here…”

Bill laughed, “That’s what happens when you don’t take a break to move around a bit,” the blonde walked over and assisted Dipper out of the chair, “Stretch your limbs out a bit, goofball.”

Dipper cracked his neck and stretched as he walked over to the mirror, looking down at the reflection of his arm, “Wow, it looks awesome,” Bill had put a hell of a lot more detail on the final product. It almost looked like Dipper had a piece of aged paper glued to his arm. “Thank you." 

“You’re welcome,” Bill’s voice sounded a lot better without the facemask covering it, “Alright, cleaning and care instructions,” Bill gestured for Dipper to come closer and Bill reached out and grabbed his arm, slathering some ointment along the fresh ink, “You’re a good student so pay attention: after about two to three hours you can remove the bandage I’m about to put on it. When you go to bed you can wrap it in saran wrap just don’t use cloth or anything that will stick. No rubbing, scratching, or wiping the area either.” Bill turned around and started cleaning his tools, “Wash your hands before you touch it, and use Neosporin for the first three or four days. If you see it starts to peel, that’s normal so don’t freak out or peel your skin. Use lotion for the next few weeks after that and you should be good.” Bill took a deep breath and rolled his eyes, “Man that whole spiel gets old.”

Dipper chuckled as Bill began to wrap his arm, “I think all of that is in my pamphlet, too.”

“Standard procedure, I like to reinforce,” Bill smiled up at Dipper and patted his wrist, “So how was it? Your first tattoo.”

Dipper smiled, “Not that bad. I can see why people come to you. You’re really efficient.”

“Aww, aren’t you sweet,” Bill walked over to the curtain and unhooked it from it’s hinge, pausing to give Dipper a soft smile, “I’m glad you came to me.”

Dipper was about to respond but Bill shoved the curtain open to reveal the rest of the shop; he suddenly realized they didn’t have privacy anymore.

Hector was in the same spot as he was before they started but now there was a new person perched on the counter just below where the TV was suspended, a slender woman with pink hair.

Bill waved, “Hey, Veronica. I’m surprised you made a quiet entrance.”

The woman stuck out her tongue to reveal her stud piercing, “Hector told me to keep it down since you were working. Also I think he was trying to listen in on your conversation.”

Hector angrily shoved Veronica’s legs off of the chair they were perched on and she laughed in response.

Bill patted Dipper on the back, “Come on,” he gestured for Hector to get the cash safe out, “It’s gonna be sixty.”

Dipper scaled back, “Whoa, there’s no way you charge that little…Bill this thing was huge…”

Even Hector gave Bill a strange look and looked down quickly when Bill stared back challengingly.

The blonde looked back at Dipper, “It’s the minimum amount, kid. No need to look that deep into it.”

Dipper shook his head and took out his wallet, “Bill, this is not a sixty-dollar tattoo,” he took out two, crisp hundred dollar bills and placed them on the counter, “That should cover it, right, Hector?”

Hector held up his hands and walked away while Bill leaned over the register, “This is my business, Pine Tree. Sixty is the minimum and that’s what I’m charging you.”

Dipper looked into Bill’s eyes, “Bill, seriously.”

Bill shrugged, “I am serious.”

Dipper looked down at his money and removed his hand, “Then, accept the rest as a tip.”

Bill laughed, “Geez, kid, you really don’t know how to let things go, do you?” He sighed as his gaze softened, “I tell you what, I’m going to charge you sixty whether you like it or not. If you feel like that’s not enough, then you can use the rest to take me to dinner or…lunch, whatever suits your fancy.”

Dipper tilted his head curiously, “You want me to take you out?”

“Only if you want to.” Bill tapped his fingers over the cash box and took out forty dollars, slipping it on the counter while taking the hundred-dollar bill, “It’s not that we don’t have a lot to talk about.”

Dipper nodded in understanding and grabbed the rest of his money, “Okay.”

Bill winked, “I’ll text you later, alright?”

“No, I’ll, um, I’ll text you…” Dipper smiled, “What time is good for you?”

Bill’s eyes became a little glossy as he stared at Dipper, “Do you really want to do this?”

Dipper looked behind Bill and noticed that Hector and Veronica were gone and it was just him and Bill in the studio, “Of course I do. I…” he leaned in and kept his voice down, “I don’t want to leave things the way we did earlier. Please?”

Bill looked into Dipper’s eyes almost as if he were analyzing him. Dipper felt exposed by it and nervous that there was just the slightest chance that Bill really had had enough of him. Maybe the tattoo was a parting gift… Dipper bit his lip nervously, “Bill, please…”

The blonde looked away and Dipper felt like he was broken from some kind of invisible force, “Alright,” Bill’s voice was soft and he put the cash box away, “I’ll be leaving here in about an hour. I can meet you at that new restaurant that opened up the street from here around eight. Sound good?”

Dipper smiled, “Sounds good.” He pointed to his tattoo, “Thanks again…” he waved as he headed for the door, stopping when he took notice of the virgin bell. He looked back at Bill and pointed at it with a playful smile before pulling the string and walking out the door.

Despite their friendly interaction, the first in nearly four weeks, Dipper still did not feel relieved of his past actions; but Bill’s laughter and the happiness in his eyes as he left put a chipper bounce in Dipper’s step.

He would relive it again if he could.

___

Dipper showed up at the small restaurant a few minutes early. It was a pretty interesting place. It had been a while since Dipper had seen a French-style eatery. Looking around the small cellar-like room, Dipper selected two bottles of red wine and ordered a small platter of finger foods. Dipper grabbed a menu and looked around for an entry to the sitting area as he held the small placard with his table number on it.

The server behind the counter directed him to a small door that led him outside and Dipper felt a little paranoid at the small courtyard that was semi-packed with people. Lights were stringed between the tiny trees that were scattered throughout and a small jazz band was setting up at the stage in the front.

Shit. This was quickly looking too romantic and it was too late to return the wine for liquor. Dipper scanned the area to see if it was mostly comprised of couples and, if it was, to sit very, very far away from them.

There was a small empty table in the far corner and Dipper quickly maneuvered his way around the tables with his two bottles of wine and two wine glasses in hand, the menu and placard carefully wedged between his chin and chest.

This place was in between fancy and casual and Dipper wasn’t sure how he felt about it just yet. It was relaxing which was a plus. There seemed to be a few groups that were scattered about to offset the romantic feel of the atmosphere. That was good, too. As much he liked Bill, he wasn’t sure if a romantic spot would have been the best place to have a conversation about why Dipper behaved like such an asshole.

When Dipper set the placard into the holder and arranged the wine and glasses on the table, he was relieved to hear the band start playing something fun and light. The brunette winced when he felt the searing itch on his forearm where the tattoo was. He had done as the pamphlet suggested but it still itched like a monster.

Bill walked in five minutes later with his hands in his pockets. He looked like he was trying to play it cool as he looked around the courtyard. Dipper waved him over and the brunette became a little nervous when Bill sat across from him.

The blonde smiled, “This place looks nice, huh? They did a bang up job with the lighting…”

Dipper grinned, “Yeah...” Before he could continue, a server came by with the food Dipper had ordered earlier and opened their bottle of wine. He asked if he or Bill had anything else in mind to order and when Dipper politely declined, the server took the placard and left.

Bill eyed the platter of olives, bread, and cheese, “Well, isn’t that fancy.”

Dipper laughed and picked up an olive, “Well, it is French.”

“How’s the tattoo treating you?” Bill grabbed the bottle and poured some wine in their glasses about halfway.

Dipper nodded, “Itches like crazy but it’s fine so far.”

Bill grinned and raised his glass, “To your first tattoo.” After their toast, Bill gulped down his wine and sighed, “I guess we can cut to the chase, then…”

Dipper bit his lip nervously, “I guess so.” He didn’t want to dive into talking about Bill’s brother, not yet anyway, so Dipper went over the next best subject, “I assume you were named after your dad, right?”

Bill looked confused, “Wait…what?” When he caught on his eyes lit up, “Ah, so you finally made that connection, huh?” He chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, “Eh, yeah, Will and I were both named after him. Mom didn’t realize she was having twins the day we were born so…she also wasn’t very creative.”

Dipper folded his arms over the table, “Is that why you go by ‘Bill?’”

“Pretty much. She,” Bill chuckled as he remembered back to his younger days, “She would get so mad when one of us, mostly me, would shirk responsibility on the other. So one day she flicked our noses and started referring to us as not only ‘Will’ and ‘Bill’ but also her little devils.”

Dipper smiled. It was nice to see Bill talk about something that made him happy. He wasn’t sure if Bill was aware how his facial expressions could change his entire demeanor.

But Bill’s eyes soon became sad, “Our mom died before we got to high school and that’s when my dad became a more prominent figure in our lives. For a long time Will and I didn’t think he would step up to the plate and, honestly, we weren’t sure if it was a good thing in the end.”

“Why was that?”

“Well, for starters, he had already been established as one of the greatest metaphyscists in the world so his ego gave off the impression that he had better things to do than take care of two teenagers. But then he saw how great our school scores were and when he looked into my notebook, the same one I gave you, he realized that I was actually smarter than he was.”

Wow. “How did he take that?”

Bill shrugged, “Not very well, he didn’t speak to me for a while. I thought that he might help me get ahead considering his connections but he didn’t even give me any acknowledgement for my work. I think…that was the worst. Him not saying _anything_ …”

Dipper wrung his lips, “That must have been tough…”

“Yeah it was,” Bill scratched the back of his head, “And then he started using my material to move himself up.”

“Are you serious?”

Bill finished off the rest of his glass and reached for the bottle, “Yep. Took my notes and started paraphrasing my research. Everyone went crazy over his ‘renovated theories.’” He took another long swig from his glass, “I was so pissed.”

“What did you do?”

“Took my notebook back, for starters. Then I talked to Will. He convinced me that it didn’t really matter. Together we were smarter than he could ever be.” Bill chuckled and craned his neck to expose the triangle tattoo behind his neck, “This was my first tattoo. I got it one week before our dad’s honorary dinner to celebrate his new book that was mostly based on my notebook. He was pretty pissed.”

Dipper chuckled, “How old were you?”

Bill looked up as he tried to remember, “About fourteen or fifteen I guess.”

“Dude, seriously?! I thought it was illegal…”

Bill looked at him incredulously, “Come on, Pine Tree, you ever hear of fake I.D.’s?”

It was beyond Dipper how Bill could pass for an adult at fourteen but he figured it wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibilities twelve years ago, “So I’m guessing that was your first rebellious act?”

“Oh, please, hardly my first but it was the first one he nearly beat my ass for,” Bill was silent for a while before he shrugged carelessly, “Anyway, he didn’t’ react too much when I started getting my other ones. I think he gave up on it after a while. When I finally graduated high school I hung around Gravity Falls for a few years trying to decide on what I wanted to do. Will was going to school for law before he switched to med. Eventually I ended up here in Portland around the same time as you.”

Dipper finished his glass and poured himself some more, “What were you originally going to school for before you bought the tattoo parlor?”

Bill made a disinterested noise, “Kid, I was just trying to get a degree so I could teach. I honestly had no idea what I really wanted to do. Drawing was something I loved doing as a kid and when I got older it became an escape. I never thought of using it for trade purposes but when I brought one of my designs to the parlor here in Portland, the owner saw my sketch and took me under his wing, trained me and, here I am.”

Dipper nodded, “You’re a business owner. In the span of four years, that’s pretty impressive, Bill.” He held up his glass, “Cheers to that.”

Bill raised his glass and giggled when he realized it was empty again, “Oops,” he grabbed the bottle and poured the rest into his glass, barely half an inch remained, “A sip’s a sip.” He clinked his glass against Dipper’s and downed its contents.

Dipper set his glass down and noticed Bill’s eyes became sad, like there was something unsaid about how he really ended up in Portland. The brunette wasn’t sure if he wanted to press it but as soon as the server opened their second bottle of wine and left, Bill continued speaking.

“I suppose the meat of the story is what prompted my move out here…” His eyes became serious and apprehensive, and he looked like he wasn’t sure where to begin.

Dipper noticed Bill’s odd demeanor and looked around nervously, “Hey, if you don’t want to-“

Bill held up his hand, “No…I need to say it,” he brought his hand to his mouth as he stared at the table, “No one knows about this, Pine Tree and I expect you to keep it that way…”

Dipper cleared his throat as he leaned forward to better hear Bill, “O-Of course…”

Bill took a deep breath, “After we graduated high school, Will and I pooled in for a small apartment in Gravity Falls. Our dad made very little contact and I mostly heard from him through Will. He made plans to go to school while I just kind of floated around between jobs and…other things.”

Dipper’s brows furrowed, “Other things?”

Bill pinched the bridge of his nose, mumbling quietly, “Finding steady jobs in a conservative town like Gravity Falls…and looking like me…it wasn’t easy holding down a position much less getting one. So every now and then I helped smuggle contraband across the border.”

Well that was a bombshell. Dipper sat back and stared, “Wow…” He told himself that he shouldn’t have been surprised but here he was. Surprised. “How long were you doing it?”

Bill tilted his head and silently counted on his fingers, “About…five years, I guess. It was innocent enough. Most of it was liquor and food. The occasional bootleg items would roll through for special clients but business was good until our ‘grocery list’ started including narcotics and other illegal drugs.” Bill bit his lip nervously, “Will didn’t know I was doing this and he certainly didn’t ask so I kept it to myself until…the deals started going sour.”

“Oh…” Dipper didn’t realize how heavy his breathing had become. He wanted to ask what had happened but Bill’s shifty gaze and facial expression seemed to say he wasn’t going to go into the details.

“It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I saw what was happening and I got out of it before it blew up in my face but I had to come clean to Will and, needless to say, he was understandably pissed that my money making wasn’t ‘decent.’ The tension between us was too much living in a small apartment so I made arrangements in Portland. Some of my friends followed and the rest is history. I applied to the university as a way to get a quick degree and everything fell into place after that.”

“So you two had a falling out but you still kept in touch?”

“Oh, of course,” Bill tapped his fingers on the table, “All of our conversations were composed of ignoring the elephant in the room but we still had good talks. He even visited me a few times. The last time we talked…he was making arrangements to transfer schools and move to Portland. We were…gonna talk it out in person after the holidays.” Bill sniffed and looked away.

Dipper ran his fingers over his glass of wine and gave Bill a reassuring smile.

When Bill composed himself, he smiled wryly and took another sip from his glass, “I guess I should have gone with my gut instinct and talked to him then, huh?” He scoffed, “And our dad, he showed up for the funeral and stayed for fifteen minutes. I had him cremated and I asked my dad what he wanted to do, it was the first conversation I had with him since high school. He just shrugged at me and walked away, the bastard.”

Dipper shook his head, he didn’t feel the need to comment on Bill’s father. The man’s distance with his sons already spoke enough volumes, “What would you have said?"

Bill blinked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, I…I just wanted to know what you would have said to your brother.” Dipper was hoping he didn’t sound insensitive but phrases like ‘you couldn’t have known’ or ‘life happens that way’ probably would have been less welcome.

Bill stared at Dipper for a few minutes before his shoulders drooped and he glanced down at the tray of food, “I guess…I would have told him I was sorry…that I should have found a better way to make money than…what I did. That I really missed his company…”

Dipper leaned forward, “Bill, I’m so sorry…for everything. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

Bill rubbed at his eyes and smiled at Dipper, “Thank you.” They shared a small moment of silence before Bill smirked, “So…tell me about finals week? I know you went a little insane if you thought getting a tattoo would be fun.”

Dipper laughed, relieved that they were changing the subject, “Yeah…I’m surprised I was able to get through it without starving.”

The rest of their food sat untouched but the two bottles were emptied by the time the restaurant eventually started to close down. The rest of their evening was spent with laughs and friendly chatter, equal on both ends, and Dipper realized he didn’t want the night to end.

He realized it was ultimately up to Bill. He hadn’t forgotten that Bill had no intention in pursuing things further in regards to their relationship and this night was mostly for Dipper to clear the air and make amends. He couldn’t blame Bill for wanting to have closure since he couldn’t have it with his brother…

“Alright, Pine Tree,” Bill shoved his hands in his coat pockets and looked around, “It’s a little late for you to get a bus, do you need a ride back to your dorm?”

Dipper waved him off, stumbling a bit from his tipsiness, “I can take a cab, it’s no big deal. We were both drinking so…”

Bill shook his head and fished out his keys, “Nonsense, I’m fine. Let’s go.”

“A-Are you sure?”

Bill grabbed Dipper’s shoulders and squeezed them, “Yes! Come on, it’s fucking cold out here.”

After Dipper was more or less dragged to Bill’s car, he fell into the passenger’s seat and probably could have fallen asleep right there had Bill not had the radio on so fucking loud. Bill lowered the music with a sheepish apology and turned the heater on full blast.

Bill rubbed his arms, sitting in the heat for a small second before driving off towards the university. The drive was mostly quiet and it made Dipper anxious. Quick glances in Bill’s direction showed that the blonde looked super focused on the road but Dipper knew this was Bill’s ‘thinking face.’

Dipper slouched further into his seat and looked out the window as the familiar building that was his dormitory came into view. When Bill parked the car, Dipper looked over at the other man with a sheepish smile, “Well, uh…I guess I’ll see you around.”

Bill nodded, “Yeah, we should do this again sometime.”

Dipper was about to open the door when Bill’s words made him stop, “Wait…what?” 

“Uh…we should do this again sometime?”

“I thought you didn’t want…” Dipper was confused but relieved slightly, “I thought you said you were done…with me.”

Bill smiled and shook his head, “Pine Tree, I can’t imagine a world where I am ever done with you.” He reached over and patted Dipper’s shoulder, “Thank you, for everything.”

Dipper smiled and nodded, “Same. So…uh, text me when you get home?”

“Yes, mom,” Bill shooed him out of his car, “Go on! Before you fall asleep on the ground. I don’t want to carry your ass up ten floors.”

Dipper laughed as he clumsily got out of the car, “Yeah, yeah, see you later. Thanks for the ride.” Once Dipper was safely inside his dormitory, he waved towards Bill as the man drove off.

He was given another chance. This time he wouldn’t fuck it up.

____

It took one month after getting to know Bill a little more personally that his friend’s usually irritating demeanor morphed into charm. Even when the school semester started back up again, Bill would occasionally stop by the dorms until Dipper decided it would be more convenient for them to hang out at his place.

At least they would have a bit of privacy and Dipper wouldn’t have to worry about his whiny roommate.

Dipper also met Muffin. He had never seen a hairless cat before and while petting it for the first time was a little strange, Dipper quickly bonded with the strange looking feline. Bill even remarked how quickly Muffin took to Dipper.

Muffin fell asleep on Dipper’s lap the first day she met him and Bill scoffed, “It took her four weeks before she wanted to be in the same room as me…I’m a little jealous, Pine Tree.”

Their hangouts typically went this way for the next month. Dipper would study for a bit while Bill watched Netflix or Hulu, making the odd jokes every now and then. Eventually he would pull Dipper from his studies to watch more movies and most of the time, Dipper would fall asleep on Bill’s couch. They usually ordered out if Dipper stayed over but things shifted in Dipper’s book when Bill decided to cook.

“It’s not much,” Bill lifted the lid of the pot and steam billowed into the air, “Just spaghetti. Haven’t had it in forever and I figured why not.”

It wasn’t unusual but at the same time, it was. Dipper was already having conflicted emotions over his friend and now…they were eating home-cooked meals together. What made it even more telling was when they finished eating and sat on Bill’s couch to watch a movie.

Dipper expected Bill to take his seat in the armchair. Instead, Bill plopped down on the other end of the couch from where Dipper was sitting. Dipper moved his legs to allow Bill some space and the blonde laughed.

“No need to be so shy, Pine Tree.”

Dipper blushed. He wasn’t paying attention to the movie because every other glance he was admiring the way his friend looked curled up on the couch all nice and relaxed. Dipper could see himself curling up next to him but he felt himself sink more into the couch instead.

Three months later, Dipper was in Bill’s chair at the parlor getting his tattoo colored. Dipper didn’t have any ideas so Bill had decided to go with an aged paper look. He said it was something he hadn’t done before so he was pretty excited to try something new.

Dipper realized the pain of getting a tattoo colored and shaded, in his opinion, was nothing like the pain of getting it outlined. Dipper was asking for more breaks this time around. At some point while Bill was coloring, the blonde began to gently rub Dipper’s wrist where he was holding it. One glance into Dipper’s eyes suggested it was a way to soothe him through the pain.

The small touch set butterflies in Dipper’s stomach and he spent the rest of the session staring at Bill’s eyes beyond the blonde’s glasses. All the while, Bill kept rubbing his thumb over Dipper’s wrist. Dipper bit his lip when he realized he was completely head over heels for his best friend.

_Oh god…_

Bill’s amber eyes were completely focused on the coloring and Dipper wasn’t even sure if the man was blinking. He hated the fact that his glasses and facemask were concealing most of Bill’s face from his view and he was anxious for another break as the pain started becoming unbearable. He was starting to sweat, partially from nervousness and partially from the pain.

Bill seemed to take the hint and he wiped away the excess ink and turned his machine off. “I think that’s enough for this session, Pine Tree,” he removed his glasses and facemask, “We’re taking more breaks a lot sooner so I think we’ll finish it up next ses-“ Bill paused at the look on Dipper’s face, “Are you okay?”

Dipper nodded quickly and looked down at his half-colored tattoo, “It looks…great, Bill…”

Bill, not buying it whatsoever, scooted closer and leaned in, “Hey…what’s up? Are you feeling woozy or something?”

Dipper stared at Bill’s face because he couldn’t form words to save his life. How the hell do you tell someone how you feel? How do you explain emotions? How do you _deal_ with emotions? Dipper’s eyes flicked between looking into Bill’s eyes and looking at his lips. “I…uh…”

Bill brought his gloved hand up to Dipper’s arm and squeezed it reassuringly, “What?” His voice was soft and when Dipper looked into his eyes there was a small moment where the realization set in. When Bill tilted his head closer to Dipper’s face, the brunette understood the silent invitation.

So he leaned forward a bit hesitantly and pressed his lips to Bill’s.

Dipper felt a swell in his chest that he could only describe as relief when Bill reciprocated the kiss. He was careful not to touch Dipper’s tatted arm and he didn’t move too quickly. Dipper was glad for it.

It only lasted a few seconds before Bill broke away slowly and mumbled something about cleaning Dipper’s arm. The brunette blushed and smiled as Bill went through the motions of after care, nervously mumbling the entire safety spiel. Dipper chuckled when his friend fumbled on a few words. It was a bit relieving to see that Bill was just as nervous as he was.

Despite their awkwardness, they shared a few more quick kisses before they officially pulled the curtain back.

____

One month later, Bill was making plans for a two-day trip to Gravity Falls for the six-month anniversary of Will’s passing. He packed one bag into the backseat of his car and made his way around. “You don’t mind checking in on Muffin?” Bill smiled in Dipper’s face and nuzzled their noses together, “She likes you more than she likes me, anyway." 

Dipper shook his head, “She’ll be fine. Hey, are you sure you don’t want company?”

Bill slid into the driver’s seat and rolled the window down, “I think I need to do this by myself first…I’ll call you when I get there and maybe on the way if I get bored.”

Dipper shook his head and leaned into the car, “Be careful,” he kissed Bill’s cheek quickly and before he could move away, Bill pulled him in for a small kiss.

Dipper poked Bill’s cheek, “Go, before you lose all the daylight.”

“So eager to get rid of me,” Bill started the car up and waved, “I’ll call you later.” With that, Bill pulled off and Dipper watched until his car was out of view.

A few hours later, Dipper was in his dorm bed when he received a text from Bill:

**Here in GF…looks the same as when I left it. How’s Muffin?**

Dipper texted back:

**I think she misses u.**

Bill:

**Ha!**

That was the end of the conversation. Dipper texted a short ‘how are you doing’ but it went unanswered. It didn’t bother Dipper much. The whole point of Bill’s trip was to visit him and his brother’s childhood town and spend some time to himself. He deserved that much at least.

Around two in the morning, Dipper woke up to his cellphone ringing. What alarmed him was that the call was from Bill and he sounded panicked.

“This was a fucking stupid idea,” Bill was frantic and from what Dipper could hear of the background, he was also driving.

Dipper sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes, “Bill…” his voice was laced with fatigue, “Bill, what are you doing?”

“I can’t do it. I can’t stay there alone, Pine Tree…I just can’t.”

“Take a deep breath, concentrate, where are you right now?”

“I’m on the interstate.”

“Bill…you shouldn’t be on the road, you’ve been driving all day.”

Bill’s breath became heavier, like he was heaving, “I need to be home. I can’t stay there. I can’t!”

“Okay, okay,” Dipper started getting dressed, “Where exactly are you on the interstate?” Bill gave him his last exit and Dipper nodded, “Okay, so you’re about two hours away. What do you want me do?”

“Uh…stay on the line with me, please…”

“Okay. Put me on speaker and keep both hands on the wheel, Bill,” Dipper put on his shoes, “I’m going to head over to your place.”

“Pine Tree, don’t do that. It’s late.”

“I don’t care, I have your spare key remember? It sounds like you could use the company,” Dipper grabbed his stuff and headed out the door, “I don’t want you making extra stops so just come straight home, okay?”

There was a shuffling sound on the other end and Dipper assumed Bill had placed the phone in the cup holder, “Okay…” Bill was taking deep breaths and when they finally evened out and there was a small silence, “Pine Tree?”

“I’m here,” Dipper was thankful the weather had warmed considerably; it wasn’t too hot or cold in the air.

Bill made a grumbling noise before he laughed, “So, uh…how are you?”

Dipper laughed for old time’s sake.

Bill arrived in Portland an hour later and Dipper was amazed at how he managed to shave an hour off the remaining drive. When Bill finally entered his apartment, Dipper met him at the door.

“Hey,” Dipper closed the door and locked it while Bill set his keys and bag down, “Look, I made you some-“ Dipper was cut off when Bill pulled him into a tight hug, “Bill?” When Bill didn’t respond, Dipper wrapped his arms around him and patted his back, “It’s okay. You’re home…”

A few seconds later Bill peeled himself away and wiped at his face, “I’m sorry, it was just…too intense. I had to get out of there.”

Dipper nodded, “I understand,” he gestured to the kitchen table, “Look, I made some tea and I didn’t burn it this time.”

Bill laughed and took the mug off the table, “You didn’t make one for yourself.”

“No, you know I don’t like tea. Are you hungry?”

Bill yawned after taking a large sip from the mug, “No.” He stretched his legs out and moved to go sit on the couch, “Fuck…”

Now that Bill was starting to wind down, Dipper followed him to the couch and sat beside him, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Bill stared ahead, “Not really…” He jumped in surprise when Muffin pounced up onto his lap, curled up, and rested her head on Bill’s leg.

Dipper was highly amused by Bill’s shocked expression, “What’s wrong?”

Bill made an unsure noise, “I, uh, this is the first time she’s done this…ever.”

Dipper rubbed Bill’s shoulder, “She knows you’re upset.”

Bill very carefully put his hand on Muffin’s back and rubbed gently until the cat started purring, “Wow. Let’s see how long this lasts.”

Dipper chuckled and rested his cheek against Bill’s shoulder while idly petting Muffin on the head. When he felt Bill lean his face against his hair he moved to grab Bill’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

They sat there for a while until Muffin decided she’d had enough of being on Bill’s lap. Bill hummed as he stretched, his voice was strained, “And there she goes.” He looked down and shook Dipper’s shoulder, “You still awake?” Dipper only made an affirmative noise. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

Dipper yawned, “It’s almost six in the morning.”

“Do you have class?” Bill stood up and helped Dipper to his feet.

“No.”

Bill was suddenly backpedaling when he figured Dipper probably wanted to leave, “Oh, sorry, you don’t have to stay…I was just…”

Dipper huffed irritably and grabbed Bill’s hand, pulling him towards the bedroom, “I’m tired.” When he entered Bill’s room, he was bombarded by the smell of sandalwood which was really fucking nice. “It smells like you…” Dipper then collapsed on the bed with a tired, breathy sigh.

Bill laughed as he peeled out of his shirt, taking off a few of his accessories, “Well…I hope so.”

Dipper opened his eyes a bit when the bed creaked as Bill moved to lie next to him. He had seen Bill shirtless a countless amount of times but it was never like this. This was decidedly more intimate. He blushed a bit and closed his eyes as he reached out gripped Bill’s arm, “You’re not off the hook, you know.”

Bill hummed sleepily, “Hm? Why?”

“I want you to tell me what happened out there.” Bill was quiet for a while but Dipper felt the bed shift as the other man leaned up on his elbow. Dipper opened his eyes curiously and saw Bill staring down at him with a small smile on his face. Dipper never thought he would see Bill’s eyes so full of happiness before. He blushed, “What…? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Bill tapped his fingers along Dipper’s arm and shook his head slightly, “Nothing,” he laid back down and pulled Dipper close to him, “Thank you for staying.” He leaned in and kissed Dipper’s forehead.

It was a nice moment at first until Bill pulled back and gave Dipper an unusual look. Dipper sighed, he was too tired for this, “What?”

Bill traced his fingers over Dipper’s bangs, “What is that? A birthmark?”

Dipper was thankful that Bill was respectful of his space but he moved his bangs back, displaying his constellation birthmark.

Bill smiled, “How have I not seen this before? It’s amazing."

Dipper shrugged and closed his eyes as he allowed Bill to trace his fingers over the mark, “I hide it a lot. Got made fun of for it in school. It’s where my nickname came from.”

Bill poked Dipper’s nose, “So what’s your real name?” Dipper groaned in response and Bill pulled him even closer, kissing the mark directly, “You should never hide this.”

Dipper didn’t say anything in response but he couldn’t help the smile that crept up on his face as he fell asleep just at the sunrays came through the blinds.

They finally woke up at noon but didn’t drag themselves out of bed until five. Dipper had a raging headache from oversleeping and Bill was groggy most of the day. Between the two of them, they pooled a few minutes of a good mood watching music videos on YouTube.

A bit later, Dipper was reclined in the armchair while Bill worked on a sketch. “Is that for work or for fun?”

Bill smiled, “Fun. I don’t bring work home with me.”

Dipper grinned but as he looked away and let Bill continue to work, he fidgeted with his hands as he tried to figure out his next move. On one side, he really wanted to have a nice, touchy make out session but on the other, he was still holding to Bill’s promise to tell him what had happened in Gravity Falls.

Bill was really good at dancing around the issues. The best way around this was to be straightforward.

Dipper cleared his throat and turned off the TV. He could see Bill flinch at the silence. “Alright fess up. What happened in Gravity Falls?”

Bill groaned, “Do I have to?”

“No. But I’d like to know eventually.”

Bill looked up from his sketch and seemed to debate his options, “Well…okay,” he put his pencil down and stood up from the table, “But I’m going to tell you in the most ridiculous position I can think of.”

Dipper furrowed his brows and watched as Bill walked over the couch and turned his body in a position to where his head was hanging upside down off the cushions. Dipper shook his head, “That’s the most ridiculous position you can think of?”

Bill’s hair touched the floor as he shook his head, “I guess the only other positions I know are reserved for fucking.”

Dipper laughed, “Good to know. Spill."

Bill cleared his throat and stretched his legs over the back of the sofa, “Do you ever get that heavy feeling in your chest when you realize you miss someone?” When Dipper nodded, Bill scratched his nose, “It’s a thousand times worse when that someone is gone forever.”

Dipper had to admit that as unusual as Bill looked, the odd position wasn’t enough to off-balance the weight of his words. Dipper turned completely towards the blonde, “What happened?”

Bill folded his hands over his chest, “It was weird…and not in a good way. It was like being in a time bubble except it had a terrible reality veil covering the eyes. It wasn’t enough to completely block everything but it made it look and feel different.” Bill closed his eyes and sighed, “Some people say they can still feel their loved ones when they pass but…I haven’t felt anything. Just this overwhelming loneliness. I freaked out as soon as I went to the lake.”

“The lake?”

Bill lifted himself up for a bit, “Yeah,” he lowered himself back down, “We used to go there when were kids. Actually we did that up until we graduated high school. We’d go out there and fish or just shoot the shit, you know? We’d go out every day except for Family Fun Day.” He smiled, “I’ve got a lot of good memories out there. Now it fucking terrifies me.”

Dipper stood from the chair and sat on the couch next to Bill, “I’m sorry.”

Bill looked up at Dipper and stared at him for a few seconds before he hoisted himself up. "Maybe one day I'll go back there," he said emptily as if he didn't really mean it, "Can't stay away from it forever."

"I'll go with you."

"Yeah?" Bill looked at Dipper hopefully. 

"Of course, when you're ready."

Bill nudged Dipper's shoulder affectionately which started a chain reaction of shoving each other until they were making out on the floor. 

 

____

_Six months later_

Dipper stared at the ceiling as the morning light poured in. He didn’t get much sleep. This was mostly because he and Bill had spent most of the night having sex…and the other reason was that he had an extremely strange dream. He couldn’t seem to fall asleep after that. It made him feel weird…and a little horny.

A few minutes later, Bill stirred next to him and moved away from Dipper, claiming his arm had “woken him up by falling asleep.” Either way, the blonde pulled Dipper close and Dipper looked down at Bill’s sides where a tentacle tattoo wound around his hips and waist.

Dipper trailed his fingers up and down Bill’s sides, “Dude…I had a weird dream about you last night…”

Bill hummed interestedly as he ran his hand up Dipper’s chest, “I’m intrigued.” He traced his hand over Dipper’s now completely colored tattoo, “I think I did a pretty job.”

Dipper hummed, “I love it. I’m still amazed how you made it look like a piece of paper. I keep second guessing when I look at it.”

Bill smiled, “So…about that dream…”

Dipper laughed and covered his face, “It’s…I almost don’t want to say it out loud….”

“Okay well now you have to tell me.” Bill grabbed Dipper’s wrists and slowly pulled his hands from his face, “Come on…tell me, please?”

Dipper moved his hand from his eyes and smiled, “Well, for starters, you had six arms.”

Bill laughed and stretched, “What, are my two measly arms not enough for you?” He draped his arm over his eyes dramatically, “Aw, I’m not enough. I knew it.”

Dipper smacked Bill’s stomach, “First of all, your arms are not measly,” Dipper poked at Bill’s muscle, “Your tattoos looked different, too.” He traced his fingers along Bill’s forehead, “And you had a third eye right here.”

“You’ve been reading too much folklore on the gods of the world, Pine Tree,” he smiled and pulled Dipper closer, tracing his fingers over his ribcage, “I kind of want to give you a tattoo right here…”

Dipper jerked away and moved Bill’s hand, “You know I’m ticklish.”

“All the more reason to try,” he poked Dipper’s ribs, “It’d be a great exercise of control for you.”

Dipper grabbed Bill’s hands and pinned them on either side of Bill’s head, “Come on, stop…” he leaned forward until they were chest to chest, “You were cruel…”

Bill’s eyes softened a bit and he pried his hand from Dipper’s hold to move the brunette’s bangs out of his eyes, his teasing smile gave him away, “I’m not responsible for dream Bill’s actions, Pine Tree.”

Dipper smiled, “I know. I’m…it just felt so real…like it actually happened.”

Bill blinked and mumbled, “In a parallel universe.”

“What?”

Bill shook his head and rubbed at his face, fanning his fingers over his eyes teasingly, “Any other strange appendages you were dreaming about, hm?”

Dipper blushed as he looked down Bill’s body, “You had a tentacle…”

Bill followed Dipper’s gaze and couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face, “Oh my,” he traced his fingers over Dipper’s skin and rolled them over so that he was hovering over the brunette, “I always knew you had an interesting mind.”

Dipper shook his head, “I don’t know…those were the fun parts,” Dipper craned his neck as Bill pressed a few kisses there, “The rest was pretty terrifying.”

Bill made a pitying sound as he settled between Dipper’s legs, “Well, I don’t have six arms or a tentacle dick but we can always pretend, right?”

Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill’s neck and pulled him down, “Do you still want me to come?”

Bill grinned deviously as he rubbed their hips together, “In what way?”

Dipper gasped and it took a concerted amount of effort to keep his cool, “T-To Gravity Falls…”

Bill’s smile faded and he leaned down to give Dipper a kiss, “For the fiftieth time, yes, I do.”

“I know, I know,” Dipper sighed and wrapped his legs around Bill’s waist, “I’m just…I don’t want to overstep my bounds…”

“Are you serious? We’re about to have a very nice round of sex before we hit the road. Don’t worry about your imaginary bounds.”

 

Dipper laughed and pulled Bill into a hug, “Do you still want to leave around noon?”

“Mm,” Bill kissed Dipper’s shoulder, “Yeah, I’d like to get there before sunset.”

“Well…that means we have to get up now and get ready.”

Bill groaned and let all of his weight fall on top of Dipper.

___

They arrived in Gravity Falls just before the sun started to set. Bill was adamant about reaching the lake once they got settled into their hotel room.

During the ride, Bill wouldn’t shut up but the closer they got to Gravity Falls, Dipper would have paid money for Bill to speak. It was weird. Bill’s entire persona had shifted. He drew further into himself every ten miles and his eyes went from carefree to nervous and terrified.

When they arrived at the hotel, Bill was like a wired up cat. He paced relentlessly and when he was sitting he tapped his foot as Dipper unpacked his bag, “Could you do that later, maybe?”

Dipper looked at Bill and threw his shirts on the bed with an aggravated huff, “Yeah, I guess. What’s the big deal anyway?”

“Because today’s the day,” Bill’s voice was a bit shaky and his eyes became misty, “It’s been exactly a year…today. I want to be on that lake before the sun sets…please.”

Dipper softened a bit and walked over, “Alright. Let’s go.”

When they arrived at the lake, Bill walked over to the edge of the water and stared off into the distance. Dipper walked up behind him and touched Bill’s elbow, “Do you want a minute alone?”

Bill took a deep breath, “Just…stay close, okay?” Dipper nodded and backed up just a bit. He sat down on the ground as Bill stood with his hands shoved in his pockets.

Bill stood for almost an hour just staring out onto the lake. The sun was casting the last of its light over the mountains in the distance. When Bill sat down with a shuddering breath and leaned forward, Dipper felt something in his chest swell.

He had seen Bill cry before…but not like this. It was like…he was letting all of it go. Dipper inched a bit closer and placed his hand on Bill’s back, rubbing it soothingly. When Bill lifted his head and sucked in a deep breath, he coughed out a sob, “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, Will…I just want to tell him I’m sorry…”

Dipper moved to sit directly behind Bill and wrapped his arms around the blonde’s waist. He rested his cheek between Bill’s shoulder blades, “You’re not alone, Bill…I’m here.” He could see Bill nodding and when the blonde grabbed his hand and squeezed it, Dipper kissed the back of his neck.

“Thank you…” Bill leaned back against Dipper’s chest and rested his head on the brunette’s shoulder, “Hey, Pine Tree…”

“Hm?” Dipper wrapped his arm over Bill’s chest and held him close, “What is it?”

Bill looked up at Dipper and though he said nothing, the brunette could hear the words those expressive, amber eyes were saying. Bill’s lips quirked into a small smile, “I’m happy…”

Dipper kissed Bill’s cheek, “I’m happy you’re happy.” He wiped a few stray tears from Bill’s face, “So…how are you doing?” He smiled playfully.

Bill broke into a series of laughs and in a matter of seconds, they were both laughing and playfully shoving at each other until night fell.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Comments are welcome and very much appreciated!


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